Digital interconnect of entertainment equipment

ABSTRACT

A remote control for communicating commands to a target device having first data that specifies a function supported by the target device. The remote control includes a set of command key indicias, stored within the universal remote control prior to any communications with the target device, each command key indicia being assigned a function identifier. The remote control is adapted to receive the first data from the target device and select a command key indicia from the set of command key indicias that has a function identifier that corresponds to the function specified by the first data. The selected command key indicia is displayable on a display of the universal remote control in association with a command key actuatable to communicate one or more commands to the target device to control the function supported by the target device that is represented by the first data.

RELATED APPLICATION INFORMATION

This application is a continuation of and claims benefit to U.S.application Ser. No. 10/923,916 filed Aug. 23, 2004, now U.S. Pat. No.7,119,710, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.09/334,584, filed Jun. 16, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,781,518. Throughthese applications, the subject application also claims benefit as acontinuation-in-part application to U.S. application Ser. No.09/121,229, filed Jul. 23, 1998, entitled “Universal Remote ControlSystem With Device Activated Setup,” now U.S. Pat. No. 6,157,319, all ofwhich are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

In an electronic system, such as an entertainment system, to be remotelyoperated, it is advantageous for a remote control to be able toconfigure itself to match the capabilities of the particular applianceto be controlled at that particular time by the remote control. In thosedevices known as universal remote controls, this capability isparticularly useful since such remote controls have a generally generickeypad layout that can be used to control different remotely operabledevices. Corresponding U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/121,229 filedon Jul. 23, 1998 in the name of Universal Electronics Inc. and entitled“Universal Remote Control System With Device Activated Setup,” which isincorporated herein by reference, discloses a method wherein a newlyinstalled consumer electronic appliance activates the setup of anexisting universal remote control by transmitting to the remote controla signal identifying the type of appliance just installed and theinfrared (“IR”) remote control format to which it responds.

It has been found that additional information is required after thedevice activated setup; that is, even after the device activated setupidentification process has taken place, the exact capabilities of thedevice to be remotely controlled are still not completely known to theremote control. For example, while the device may have identified itselfas a Sony TV responding to Sony's infrared control format, the remotecontrol still does not know whether this particular model of Sony TV isequipped with picture-in-picture, surround sound, or other featureswhich are not necessarily available on every model of TV set Sony buildsand/or sells.

Methods have been considered to expand the code used during the deviceactivated setup to allow unique identification of each specific model ofevery manufacturer's range of devices. However, for practical purposes,storing a cross-reference to every possible permutation and combinationof features within a preprogrammed universal remote control is notfeasible, either from a memory space or a non-obsolescence standpoint.The present invention is directed to, among other objects, providing amore viable solution to the problem.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, during theset up process, the functional capability definition (“FCD”) data istransferred to the remote control using an extension of, and improvementon, the IR transmission protocol already defined in the aforementionedpatent application which, as noted, is incorporated herein.

In this invention, the device to be controlled (TV, VCR, etc.) conveys,or is caused to convey, a summary of its capabilities to the remotecontrol. In one inventive method, the remote control need only recognizeand process a single set of standard abstract feature indicators, andmap these indicators on specific IR codes and keys according to a listof capabilities provided by the controlled device. In a preferredembodiment, the remote control includes an LCD display panel and touchscreen input capability, allowing it to display only those key functionsapplicable to the specific device being controlled. This reduces thelikelihood that a user will be confused by the presence of extraneouskeys. This invention further describes encoding schemes and methods andcommunication protocols for conveying this information to the remotecontrol from a specific device. This may be an extension, or anadditional capability, of the device activated setup described in theaforementioned application.

The invention discloses a method and system for setting up a universalremote control for operation with a device to be controlled (TV, VCR,etc.), including the steps of providing a listing of standard featureindicators as to the capabilities of each device to be controlled. Theindicators are provided from the device to be controlled to the remotecontrol. The indicators are processed by the remote control which mapssaid indicators into specific IR codes and keys according to the list ofcapabilities of the device to be controlled.

The invention includes a method for setting up a control unit foroperation with a device to be controlled. The method comprises the stepsof: transmitting from the control unit to the device to be controlled arequest for configuration information; transmitting a listing ofcontrollable functions of the device to be controlled from the device tobe controlled; recognizing a set of function indicators, each of theindicators corresponding to a respective function to be controlled fromthe listing of controllable functions; mapping the functions intospecific codes and/or key indicias according to the listing ofcontrollable functions of the device; and storing the resultingconfiguration information.

Another embodiment of the invention includes a control system forelectronically controlled devices wherein the system comprises: astandard high performance bus connecting the electronically controlleddevices; a signal responsive universal remote control providing a userinterface; and an interface adaptor communicating with the bus. Theadaptor preferably includes a signal transceiver, a bus interface unit,and a micro controller connected to control two-way communicationsbetween the signal transceiver and the bus interface unit to selectivelyobtain capability information from one of the electronically controlleddevices connected to the bus.

Another method of the invention includes controlling electronicallycontrolled devices via a universal remote control. The method includesthe steps of: interconnecting the devices using a standard highperformance bus to enable communication between devices at a digitallevel; connecting an interface adaptor to the bus; providing theinterface adaptor with the capability of communicating via IR to auniversal remote control; soliciting information from the devices on thebus; and communicating the solicited information via a two-waycommunication link between the remote control and at least one of thedevices to control the device, or devices, via the universal remotecontrol.

The invention also envisions a control system providing: a plurality ofdevices connected via a bus conforming to a first standard, wherein thedevices communicate according to a second standard; a plurality ofdevices, including a target device having context determined datadefining a plurality of functions supported by the target device and aplurality of associated icons; an adaptor in operable communication withthe bus to receive context determined data from the target device andsend context determined data to the target devices; and a remote controlin operable communication with the adaptor to send and receive contextdetermined data.

The invention also includes a control system for controlling devicesconnected through a bus conforming to an IEEE 1394 standard andcommunicating according to a HAVi standard. The system includes: anadaptor communicating with one of the devices, and a remote control incommunication with one of the devices via the adaptor. The remotecontrol is configured by one of the devices by communicating contextdetermined data to the remote control.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will apparent fromthe following detailed discussion of preferred and exemplary embodimentswith references to the attached drawings and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The following list of drawings will be useful in understanding theprinciples of the invention and in enabling those of skilled in the artto practice the invention.

FIG. 1 a is a pictorial sketch of an interconnected entertainmentsystem. A remote control is shown controlling various components of thesystem, including a TV set and a VCR.

FIG. 1 b depicts two-way communication between a remote control and aTV, whereby the TV may provide capability data, for example, to theremote control.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart depicting a device activated setup process forsetting up the remote control.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart depicting the continuation of the processing ofthe data to configure the key layout of the remote control to match thedata from the controlled device.

FIG. 4 a is a partial table, or listing, of a TV and a VCR andrespective type functions of those devices.

FIG. 4 b is a continuation of the partial table shown in FIG. 4 a.

FIG. 5 is a table or listing of TV and VCR functions, wherein thefunctions are grouped to provide a compact or compressed version of therespective functions.

FIG. 6 is a table or listing showing reserved numbering or lettering forindicating a new function.

FIGS. 7 a-7 c depict the frame format, the bit format and thesub-carrier format, respectively, for the data.

FIG. 7 d depicts the byte and data format corresponding to FIGS. 7 a-7c.

FIGS. 8 a-8 d show, in pictorial sketches, the touch screen displays forfour example device codes. Different function capability for a VCR isshown in the different figures. The graphical-dynamically-alterabledisplay present the user with a less cluttered “keyboard.”

FIG. 9 is a block diagram indicating an interconnection to a standardserial bus.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The acronyms in the following list are used in this application:

CD - compact disk CE - consumer electronics DAS - device activated setupDDI - data driven interaction interface DVD - digital video disk ESPN -a station (TV channel) FCD - functional capability definition FCM -functional control module HAVi - home audio video interoperability IC -integrated circuitry IEEE 1394 - IEEE standard for high performanceserial bus IR - infrared IrDA - standard protocol Infrared DataAssociation LCD - liquid crystal display NTSC - a televisiontransmission format PAL - a television transmission format popular inEurope PIC - a type of micro controller from Microchip Corp. POD - poweron data STB - cable set top box TWIRP - two way IR protocol

The present invention relates to devices for controlling other devicesremotely; other uses will be apparent from the teachings disclosedherein. Particular embodiments of this invention relate to remotelycontrolling devices capable of communicating with the remote control.The present invention will be best understood from the followingdescription of preferred and exemplary embodiments with reference to theattached drawings, wherein like reference numerals and characters referto like parts and with reference to the following claims. It will beunderstood that, generally, only enough of an exemplary embodiment hasbeen shown in the drawings in order to enable those skilled in the artto understand the underlying principles and concepts of the inventionwhile simplifying the illustration of the drawings.

FIG. 1 a shows a pictorial view of a remote control 10 for controllingan associated home entertainment system 11 including a TV set 12 and aVCR 14. Preferably the system components have two-way communicationcapability, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention.For explanatory purposes, FIG. 1 b shows a simplified system wherein asingle system component, the TV set 12, is controlled by the remotecontrol 10. The “Device Activated Setup” (DAS) method described in theaforementioned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/121,229 is utilizedfor the initial set up for remote control operation. After the initialset up, the function identity and operating parameters are establishedin accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart, similar to that shown in the patent applicationdiscussed in the background section, depicting how such data isprocessed by the remote control for the initial set up process. Thisflowchart, however, depicts an improvement according to the presentinvention. The link “step 2-function configuration” represents animprovement and an extension of the basic DAS process to encompassacquisition of FCD data for the device to be controlled.

The function configuration process, which is shown in the flowchart ofFIG. 3, will now be explained. For each type of device to be supported(to be controlled), a set of possible functions is defined and eachfunction assigned a unique numeric identifier. In the initialimplementation, up to 256 possible values are allowed, thereby enablingeach to be represented by a single byte of data.

An example of two such function sets are shown in FIGS. 4 a and 4 b fora TV and a VCR. Similar tables are constructed for each additionaldevice type to be supported (controlled). The number identifiers in thetable of FIGS. 4 a and 4 b do not themselves define what IR signal is tobe sent to the controlled (target) device to effect the function; thenumbers simply indicate to the remote control which functions aparticular device supports. The exact format of the IR signal to be sentis already known to the remote control, as is the key data.Alternatively, this data could be provided subsequently.

The table of FIGS. 4 a and 4 b includes several groups of functionswhich could reasonably be expected to appear. Additionally, the groupsoften comprise families of related functions. For example, the familycomprising “Volume Up” and “Volume Down,” and the family comprising“Play” and “Stop,” could both be included, as a “group.” From theteachings herein it will be understood that the family relationship maybe defined in terms of a functional relationship, such as audio control;an entertainment relationship, such as audio control of source “a” andimage control of source “b” and signal selection control of source “c”;a device relationship, such as VCR or Digital Satellite; as well as atask optimized or a user defined relationship. Other families andgroupings will be apparent to those of skill in the art.

FIG. 5 shows that grouping such functions under a single designatorresults in a more compact representation, or table. While bothrepresentations can be used effectively, the compact version of FIG. 5is used herein.

Refer now to FIGS. 8 a-8 d. As an example of the uses of theidentifiers, a simple “playback only” VCR could completely identify itsfunctionality to a remote control by sending to the remote control twobytes of data: “01” followed by “02” (see FIG. 8 a). If another model inthat range featured recording capability and a channel tuner in additionto the basic capabilities, that model would identify its capabilities bysending a string, “01,02,03,10,11,” to the remote control (see FIG. 8b). Another model having additional features of slow motion capabilitywould send the string “01,02,03,04,05,10,11” (see FIG. 8 c). The remotecontrol is then able to tailor its presentation of functions to the userto match the exact device being controlled. There is no ambiguity inassigning the same function number to different functions acrossdevices, since the device type is already known to the remote control asa result of the initial DAS.

FIG. 6 shows an assignment of a number to allow for future expansionand/or addition of new functions not included in the initial functionnumber assignments. As shown in FIG. 6, and as an example, “00” isreserved to indicate that the data following “00” is a definition of anew IR code and function. So, for example, if the VCR above were a dualformat deck which allowed the user to switch between playing tapesrecorded in NTSC and PAL formats, it might define a “format switching”function key to the remote control by sending the following data to theremote (see FIG. 8 d): “01,02,00,11,39,38,31,78,84,83,67,47,80,65,76”where:

“01, 02” represents the basic functionality of the unit, as before(power plus transport key group only); “00” represents the start of thespecial function definition sequence; “11” is the number of bytes ofdata following; “39, 38, 31” is an ASCII representation of the infraredkey data to be set for this value, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.5,515,052, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. This valueis the digit key of the JR code, (981 in this case); and “78, 84, 83,67, 47, 80, 65, 76” is the ASCII representation of the key indicia to beused, (“NTSC/PAL” in this case).Besides “00,” one other special character—the value “255” is reserved.This is used for packet formatting purposes and will be describedfurther below.

FIGS. 8 a, 8 b, 8 c and 8 d thus illustrate how a remote controlequipped with an LCD touch screen input means might configure itsdisplay in response to each of the four different VCR capability datastrings used in the above example.

FCD Identification

During the set up process, the functional capability definition (FCD)data is transferred to the remote control using an extension of the IRtransmission protocol defined in the application cited above. Whileother device identity approaches consistent with the instant inventionwill be apparent to those of skill in the art, the 32-bit deviceidentity value utilized in said application is also utilized herein forconvenience. The ID value is as follows:

8 bits System identification (to differentiate between devices ofdiffering capabilities and/or allow multiple versions of this system toco-exist without interfering with one another's settings). 4 bits DeviceCategory, as follows: 00 TV 01 VCR 02 Cassette Tape 03 Laser Disk 04Digital Audio Tape 05 Cable Box 06 Satellite IRD 07 Video Accessory 08CD Player 09 Amplifier 10 Tuner 11 Home Auto Device 12 MiscellaneousAudio 13 Phonograph 14 DVD 15 Spare 12 bits  Device number (set up codein the pre-programmed library) 8 bits Check byte (longitudinal parity ofthe preceding three bytes)

With reference to FIG. 3, upon completion of a successful DAS, the 8-bitsystem identification value from the DAS data is examined. If this valueindicates that the transmitting device does not support the extensionsdescribed here, the remote control setup is complete and it resumesnormal operation. If, on the other hand, the system identification valueindicates that the device supports capability reporting then the remotecontrol continues by requesting from the device its FCD data string.This request will usually take the form of a single specific remotecontrol IR command (i.e., the equivalent of a key press) sent to thetarget CE device in its standard format (i.e., the format establishedduring the DAS process). By agreement with the manufacturer of thatdevice, that particular command will be recognized by the CE device as arequest to transmit to the remote control an FCD of the form describedabove.

Data from CE Devices Transmitted to the Remote Control

The data is transmitted from the CE device to the remote control using avariant of the DAS link level protocol. First, the FCD data is dividedinto eight-byte blocks. The final block is padded as necessary with FF(“255”) values to bring it to exactly eight bytes. An eight byte headerblock is then constructed as follows:

1 byte Length (represents the number of 8-byte blocks present of header(to allow for future expansion, currently fixed at 1)) 1 byte Length ofdata to follow (excluding header block) 2 byte Data checksum (calculatedacross all bytes of data, including pad bytes but excluding header) 3bytes Reserved for future expansion 1 byte Header checksum (calculatedacross the seven preceding bytes)

The above data is transmitted to the remote control using a variant ofthe DAS link level protocol as will be described below. It has beenfound preferable that this data and the DAS use the same transmit andreceive hardware, i.e., carrier frequency and pulse timing. However, forsome applications it is preferable to utilize separate transmit andreceive hardware. The DAS protocol follows:

Encoding: Burst duration modulation using amplitude shift keyed IRsubcarrier Subcarrier: 40 KH_(Z), +/−0.5% (FIG. 7(c)) Bit Encoding:Basic time interval t = 500 us (20 cycles of subcarrier) (FIG. 7(b))Burst times (nominal) 1t and 2t Gap times (nominal) 1t and 2t FrameFormat: Bits per frame: 64 (8 bytes) (FIG. 7(a)) Interframe Gap: 50 msminimum (FIG. 7(a))

FCD Installation

The encoded data stream consists of alternating intervals of carrier andno carrier. The duration of each interval signals the value of the bitcorresponding to that location. Ones are represented by short intervals,zeros by long intervals. FIGS. 7 a-7 d shows the format in detail.

As indicated in the flowchart of FIG. 3, if the remote control receivesthe FCD data successfully, it configures itself as appropriate foroperation of that device and resumes normal operation. If for any reasonthe data is not received successfully (truncated number of packets, badchecksum(s), etc.) the remote control will wait an appropriate period oftime and then repeat the request. If after three such attempts the datahas still not been obtained, the remote control will abort the processand revert to default operation—usually, supporting the maximum set ofpossible functions for that device family.

Note that although the above embodiment and example transactions assumethat the DAS and FCD acquisition will usually occur together, there isin fact nothing in the protocol which prevents the remote control fromissuing a request for FCD data at any time. Thus, the remote controlcould avail itself of this information at any time.

Interoperability Architecture

The next generation of consumer entertainment appliances uses digitallyencoded audio and video signals. Transfer of program material betweenthese devices in the original digital format, such as for example,between a digital cable box and a high definition TV set is highlydesirable in order to take full advantage of the superior picture andsound quality which is obtainable therefrom.

Various standards are being proposed which are intended to provideuniform methods of digital interconnection between devices. Thesestandards generally specify not only how to transfer audio video sourcematerials, but also how to effect the exchange of control functionsbetween devices, since it is relatively easy to interleave thesedifferent signals on a single interface when they are encoded at thedigital level. An example of such standard is the Home Audio Videointeroperability (HAVi) architecture specification proposed by a groupof major CE manufacturers. The inventive methods disclosed herein areapplicable to HAVi and, generally, to other such standards thatdetermine parameter passing and interaction between devices. The actualphysical and electrical connections and the link-level protocols usedform the subject of a different specification, IEEE 1394 “Standard for aHigh Performance Serial Bus.” Present suggested standards are directedprimarily to home entertainment appliances, however the methodsdisclosed are applicable to other appliances in the home such as thecontrol of lighting, personal computers, security, communications,sprinklers and other convenience items.

HAVi allows control information to be transferred between devices at twolevels; the first, referred to as the functional control module (FCM)interface defines a set of standardized commands for each device type(such as play/stop/pause for a VCR device, channel change for a TVtuner, etc.). Not all devices necessarily support all possible commands(e.g., a VCR may not support “indexed skip”) so provision is made for adevice to enumerate its capabilities in response to a query from anotherdevice on the bus. In the FCM interface method, this enumerationconsists of a simple list of which standard functions are or are notsupported by the device (say VCR); and, the controlling device (sayremote) determines the look and feel of the user interface. Thecontrolled device simply accepts commands from the controlling device.

The second method, referred to as the data driven interaction (DDI)interface, allows the target device to specify to the controlling devicea complete user interface, including the exact icons to display for eachfunction, indicias for functions, data and status displays, etc. Thecontrolling device simply presents these to the user and reports back tothe controlled device which icon was selected. In other words, unlikeFCM, in this scheme the controlled device determines the look and feelof the user interface, the controlling device simply acts asintermediary between it and the user.

Refer now to FIGS. 1 a and 9 depicting HAVi compliant devices. With HAVicompliant devices, a remote control of the type described herein can beutilized by providing an adaptor device which attaches to the IEEE 1394bus. The adaptor solicits capability information from other applianceson the bus and communicates these to the remote control via a two-waycommunication link. In other words, a single HAVi compatible adaptordevice can provide remote configuration services for all consumerappliances connected to the bus, instead of each one individuallysupplying its DAS data directly to the remote control. The remotecontrol can issue user commands to an appliance either by relaying themback through this same adaptor device or by communicating directly withthe appliance, whichever is best supported by the appliance in question.The adaptor device can be either a “stand alone” unit or incorporatedwithin some other appliance (e.g. cable set top box “STB”).

A remote control which includes a graphic LCD display and touch screeninput capability would be capable of supporting both DDT and FCM commandstructures. Such a remote control would represent an extremely powerfuluser interface device, essentially becoming an extension of thecontrolled appliance in the user's hand. Also, since the HAVi standardallows an ongoing two-way dialog between the controlled and controllingdevices, the remote control display and configuration can be updateddynamically during use of the system; not just at setup time as is thecase with the basic “extended DAS” transaction described earlier.

FIG. 1 a depicts a HAVi compliant entertainment equipment systemequipped with such a remote control 10. In FIG. 1 a, the user has justcompleted entering a new channel number into a digital cable set top box(STB) 16. Under control of the STB 16, the remote control's touch screendisplay is showing only those key functions needed to enter a newchannel number. In addition the STB 16 has caused the remote control 10to display to the user the station (ESPN) corresponding to the channelnumber just entered (e.g., 17). FIG. 9 shows a block diagram of theremote control interface unit 18. Interface unit 18 transfers databetween HAVi compliant devices on the IEEE 1394 bus 30 and the remotecontrol 10. Accordingly, interface unit 18 has both an IEEE 1394 businterface module 19 for communication with the HAVi devices of FIG. 1 a,and an infrared transceiver 21 for communication with the remote control10.

In interface unit 18, the IEEE 1394 interface 19 is connected through amicrocontroller 20 through IR protocol controller 22 to IR transceiver21. Microcontroller 20 controls both the interface 19 and the IRtransceiver 21. More specifically, microcontroller 20 is a generalpurpose microcontroller programmed to effect the orderly transfer ofdata between the IEEE 1394 interface 19 and the IR transceiver 21.

The IEEE 1394 interface 18 can be implemented using one of severalspecialized integrated circuit chip sets available for this purpose, forexample a Texas Instrument TSBI2LV3 Link layer Controller together witha TSB21LVO3 Transceiver/Arbiter. Other equivalent parts are availableand are well known in the art. The communication system linking to theremote control may be IR or RF (of the type previously described) or, ifa greater data throughput is desired in order to handle large icondefinition bitmaps, a high speed link level protocol such as IRDAControl IR, a standard protocol defined by the Infrared Data Associationmay be used. Integrated IR transceivers are available for this standard,for example, the Sharp GP2W200IYK, the link layer control protocol canbe implemented either in the micro controller or via a separate protocolchip such as the IRDA Control Peripheral Engine of the Sharp Co. Anotherpossible choice is the TWIRP (Two Way IR Protocol) from SolutioNet Ltd.,using, for example, the AT435TSOO TWIRP station transceiver availablefrom SolutioNet.

The microcontroller 20 can be any suitable general purpose processor. Afunction of the firmware program in this device, after initializing thetwo interfaces (IEEE 1394 and IR communication) in accordance with theirstandard hardware software requirements, is to monitor the twointerfaces for messages and to relay any data received from one onto theother. In this particular implementation, it is desirable to alsosegment any long HAVi data streams into 8-byte blocks since this is themaximum data payload of a single IR transmission frame. If IRDA control,mentioned above, is used, a payload of up to 97 bytes is possible, so alarger block size can be used by the micro controller.

Interpretation of the HAVi data can be performed by the remote control,since in this particular embodiment the remote control has considerablymore processing power than is available in the RCI unit. However, inother implementations it may be more efficient to pre-process some orall of the HAVi data within the RCI unit. For example, if the remotecontrol has a low resolution display with a limited number of pixelsavailable for each icon displayed, pre-processing HAVi icon bitmaps intocompressed representations prior to transmission to the remote wouldmore efficiently utilize transmission channel bandwidth as well asconserve memory in the remote control.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SELECT EMBODIMENTS

From the foregoing it will be understood that the present inventionincludes a method for setting up a control unit for operation with adevice to be controlled. The method comprises the steps of transmittingfrom the control unit to the device to be controlled a request forconfiguration information; and transmitting a list of controllablefunctions of the device to be controlled from the device to becontrolled. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 b, the remote control 10is shown sending a request for information 32, and the TV 12 is showntransmitting information 34 to the remote control 10. The method alsocomprises recognizing a set of function indicators 36 (See FIG. 1 a)each of said indicators 36 corresponds to a respective function to becontrolled from the listing of controllable functions (See FIGS. 4 a, 4b, and 5); mapping said functions into specific codes and keys accordingto said listing of controllable functions of said device; and storingthe resultant configuration information for use.

In some embodiments it is desirable that the step of storing theresultant configuration information include the step of storing theinformation in the control unit. In some embodiments the set of functionindicators is a single set of respective standard feature indicators,each standard feature indicator comprising a respective iconcorresponding to the respective function to be controlled. For example,the POD, Volume-Up and Volume-Down keys corresponding to a TV.

It is also desirable in some embodiments that each respective icon is aunique icon within the single set of respective standard featuresindicators. This reduces ambiguity and provides the user with quickselection capability. Another method of reducing the complexity of thecontrolling unit includes the step of displaying on the control unitonly function indicators corresponding to respective functions to becontrolled from the listing of controllable functions of the device tobe controlled. Referring to FIG. 8 a, the remote control 10 showsfunction indicators comprising a rewind icon 38, a stop icon 40, a pauseicon 42, a play icon 44, and a fast forward icon 46. Since these are theonly functions desired to be controlled, for example, with thisparticular VCR the user is presented with a control unit havingsubstantially reduced apparent complexity. This eases the user'sselectivity by reducing extraneous information. Referring to FIG. 8 d, aprotocol icon 48 is also displayed.

It will be understood that the listing of controllable functions may bedivided into a plurality of families and the single set of functionindicators may be divided into a corresponding plurality of families.Accordingly, the step of displaying may include displaying only thefamily of indicators corresponding to the family of functions to becontrolled. For example, the indicators 36 of FIG. 8 b have been dividedinto a TV family 50 and a VCR family 52.

It will be understood that in some embodiments, the step of transmittingcomprises the step of conveying configuration information between thecontrol unit and the device to be controlled (also referred to herein asa target device) via an encoding scheme in a communications protocol. Itwill often be desirable to utilize an industry standard protocol and itwill often be desirable to provide compatibility by utilizing a consumerelectronics standard for the control unit and for the interface devicecommunication. As discussed earlier, one consumer electronics standardis a HAVi standard.

In a preferred embodiment, the set of variable functions is defined foreach device to be controlled and the unique numeric identifier isassigned to each function. It may be desirable to group the relatedvariable functions under a single designator. It is often desirable toreserve at least one code for indicating that data following the code isa definition of a new IR code and corresponding key annotation.

The invention also includes a control system 60 of electronicallycontrolled devices, see FIG. 1 a. In one embodiment, the inventivesystem comprises a standard high performance bus 30 connecting theelectronically controlled devices (See FIG. 1 a). FIG. 1 a shows anembodiment wherein the electronically controlled devices constitute ahome entertainment system 11 including a VCR 14, a TV 12, an audiosource 54, a DVD 56, and a CD player 58. In the embodiment shown in FIG.1 a, the remote control 10 communicates with the electronicallycontrolled devices via the remote control interface unit 18. FIG. 1 bshows an embodiment wherein the remote control 10 communicates with theelectronically controlled device directly.

The control system designated with reference number 60, in FIG. 1 aincludes a signal responsive universal remote control 10 providing auser interface; and an interface adaptor 18 communicating with the bus30. In FIG. 1 a, the interface adaptor 18 is a remote control interface.Refer now to FIG. 9, depicting an exemplary interface adaptor 18. Theinterface adaptor 18 shown in FIG. 9 includes a signal transceiver 21, abus interface unit 19, and a microcontroller 20. The components in FIG.9 have been connected to control two-way communications between thesignal transceiver 21 and the bus interface unit 19 to selectivelyobtain capability information from one of the electronically controlleddevices, e.g., the VCR 14, connected to the bus 30.

FIG. 9 also depicts two-way communications 62 between the remote controlinterface unit 18 and the remote (Not shown in FIG. 9). It is oftendesirable for the capability information obtained from the controldevices to include function capability information.

Generally, although not required, the interface adaptor 18 ismechanically and electrically connected to the bus 30. In some selectembodiments the bus 30 is a high speed digital serial bus which utilizesa communications standard consistent with the home audio-videointeroperability (HAVi) standard. Accordingly, it is generally desirablefor the remote control to be adapted to issue user commands to one ofthe electrically controlled devices through the interface adaptor. Theinvention also includes a method for controlling electronicallycontrolled devices by a universal remote control. This method includesthe steps of interconnecting the devices using a standard highperformance bus to enable communication between the devices at a digitallevel. An interface adaptor is connected to the bus and provided withthe capability of communicating by IR to a universal remote control.Generally, the method includes soliciting information from the deviceson the bus and communicating the solicited information via a two-waycommunication link between the universal remote control and the devicesto control at least one of the devices via the universal remote control.Thus, the interface adaptor provides a go between for the communication.

It will be understood from the foregoing that the present invention alsoenvisions a control system comprising a plurality of devices connectedvia a bus conforming to a first standard, wherein the devicescommunicate according to a second standard. The plurality of the devicesinclude a target device having data driven interaction data (DDI Data),that is context determined data, defining a plurality of functionssupported by the target device and a plurality of associated icons. Anadaptor is placed in operable communication with the bus to receive theDDI Data from the target device and send the DDI Data to the targetdevice. A remote control is placed in operable communication with theadaptor to send and receive the DDI Data. In some specific embodimentsthe bus is a serial bus, and the first standard is an IEEE1394 standard.It may be desirable to have the target device configure the remotecontrol. It is also often desirable for the remote control to comprise adisplay wherein the target device displays at least one of the pluralityof associated icons on the display of the remote control. The remotecontrol often comprises at least one configured function defined by thetarget device and a display displaying an icon standard with at leastone configured function.

It will often be desirable for the adaptor to comprise means to identifyitself to the target device as a unit having display and control inputcapabilities, even though the adaptor does not provide display andcontrol input capabilities. This allows the adaptor to act as a conduitbetween the target device and the remote control, wherein the remotecontrol does have display and controlling capabilities.

It will be understood that in some embodiments the system comprises atwo-way wireless link connecting the adaptor and the remote. In someembodiments it is desirable for the wireless link to include a radiofrequency link or an infrared (IR) link. Such a two-way link is depictedin FIG. 9 and also referred to a two-way communication 62. While theadaptor 18 has been shown separate from the plurality of devicesconnected via the bus 30 for ease of illustration, it will be understoodthat the adaptor 18 may be housed in one of the plurality of devices.

As stated above, the second standard may be a HAVi standard and thefirst standard may be an IEEE1394 standard. It is often desirable toprovide the remote control with a dynamical- graphical-user interfaceconnected to change display graphics according to a status of the targetdevice. In a preferred embodiment the remote control comprises means forreceiving the status of a target device from the target device throughthe adaptor. The remote control may also comprise means for directlycontrolling the target device. Thus, the icon may be dynamically alteredin response to communications with one of the devices.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described withreference to a particular embodiment thereof it will be understood bythose skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may bemade therein without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

1. A control unit configurable to control one or more functions of atarget device, comprising: a memory in which is stored a plurality ofprotocols and a plurality of commands; a plurality of function keys; andprogramming responsive to an input for selecting from the plurality ofprotocols stored in the memory a protocol that is appropriate forcommunicating with the target device, for transmitting to the targetdevice using the selected protocol a request for configurationinformation, for receiving from the target device a function indicatortransmitted by the target device in response to the transmitted request,for selecting from the plurality of commands stored in the memory acommand appropriate for the target device and corresponding to thereceived function indicator, and for mapping the selected command to aselect function key of the plurality of function keys such thatactivation of the selected function key results in communication of theselected command using the selected protocol to the target device tothereby control a function supported by the target device that isrepresented by the function indicator.
 2. The control unit of claim 1,comprising a display wherein the plurality of function keys aredisplayed within the display.
 3. The control unit of claim 1, whereinthe function indicator groups related available functions under a singledesignator and wherein the programming selects from the plurality ofcommands a plurality of commands appropriate for the target device andcorresponding to the received function indicator and maps each of theselected plurality of commands to a select function key of the pluralityof function keys such that activation of a one of the selected functionkeys results in communication of a one of the selected plurality ofcommands using the selected protocol to the target device to therebycontrol a function supported by the target device that is represented bythe function indicator.
 4. The control unit of claim 1, wherein thefunction indicator is transmitted to the control unit utilizing anextension of the infrared transmission protocol.
 5. A control unitconfigurable to control one or more functions of a target device,comprising: a memory; and programming responsive to an input fortransmitting to the target device a request for configurationinformation, for receiving from the target device a set of functionindicators transmitted by the target device in response to thetransmitted request, for utilizing the function indicators received fromthe target device to configure the control unit, and for storing theresulting configuration in the memory for subsequent use in controllingone or more functions of the target device; wherein at least one of thefunction indicators corresponds to at least one function to becontrolled from a list of controllable functions recognizable by theprogramming and at least one of the function indicators comprises a codefor indicating to the programming that data following the code is adefinition of a new infrared code and a corresponding key annotation towhich the new infrared code is to be mapped as a part of the resultingconfiguration.